Joe South passed away on September 5th of 2012 at the age of 72, a victim of heart failure. Then, he entered into a period of severe depression after the suicide of his brother, Tommy South, who had served as a drummer in Joe’s band. South became despondent after winning grammies citing ‘writer’s block’ as a consequence. That song became his most successful hit of his career. He received another Grammy for his “Rose Garden” as recorded by Lynn Anderson. His “Games People Play” gained Grammy recognition, recognized as both “Best Contemporary Song” and “Song of the Year”. South then turned his attention to social issues and then penned several hits for Billy Joe Royal. He also appeared on “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin. South played lead guitar on the Tommy Roe hit “Sheila in 1962. Two of his earliest compositions were recorded by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, “I Might Have Known” and “Gone, Gone, Gone” which both appeared on long plays. He started off as a session guitarist in Atlanta before making his way to Nashville. Joe South was born Joseph Alfred Souter on February 28th, 1940 in Atlanta, GA. Joe South – Rocker/Songwriter Extraordinaire!
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